Coreopsis plant named ‘Tahitian Sunset’

ABSTRACT

The new and distinct cultivar of ornamental Tickseed,  Coreopsis  ‘Tahitian Sunset’ with short, compact, intensely-floriferous, long-blooming habit and flowers with a blend of watermelon-red and golden-orange petals. It is grown as an annual in zones colder than USDA zone 8 and as a perennial in zones 8 through 10.

Botanical classification: Coreopsis rosea.

Variety denomination: ‘Tahitian Sunset’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofornamental Tickseed plant, botanically of hybrid origin and known asCoreopsis ‘Tahitian Sunset’ and will be referred to hereinafter by itscultivar name, ‘Tahitian Sunset’, the new plant or new cultivar. The newcultivar of Coreopsis was discovered in August 2009 by Peter Van DerKolk as a whole plant mutation of Coreopsis ‘Sweet Dreams’ U.S. PlantPat. No. 12,720 at a nursery in Hudsonville, Mich., USA. Coreopsis‘Tahitian Sunset’ was first propagated by vegetative tip cuttings at thesame nursery in Hudsonville, Mich. in August 2009. The resultant plantsand those of successive generations of asexual propagation have beenevaluated to be true to the original plant and stable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new plant Coreopsis ‘Tahitian Sunset’ can be most closely comparedto its parent sport ‘Sweet Dreams’ and another sport of ‘Sweet Dreams’,Coreopsis ‘Heaven's Gate’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,016. Both of the aboveplants are selections from Coreopsis rosea. Habit and foliage of allthree above plants is similar to indistinguishable. In comparison, both‘Heaven's Gate’ and ‘Sweet Dreams’ have ray florets with deep purplishbasal coloring of the eye of the ray florets while the distal regions ofthe ray florets of the two comparison plants are light violet and whiterespectively while the ‘Tahitian Sunset’ has watermelon-red on the outerportion of the ray petals and golden orange on the center eye of the raypetals. The following traits have been repeatedly observed and aredetermined to be the unique and stable characteristics of the newcultivar:

-   -   1. Short, compact, well-branched habit.    -   2. Fine linear foliage.    -   3. Intensely-floriferous and long-blooming.    -   4. Flowers with ray petals having watermelon-red on the outside        and blending to golden-orange on the inside.

Coreopsis ‘Tahitian Sunset’ can also be compared to other plants withCoreopsis rosea or hybrids of Coreopsis rosea. Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,455 has a solid ruby red flower. Coreopsis‘Autumn Blush’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,184, ‘Snowberry’ U.S. Plant Pat.No. 18,560 and Coreopsis ‘Coreopram’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,932 are alltwo-tone with creamy yellow petal margins and maroon centers and‘Coreopram’ has tri-lobed foliage. The related group of Coreopsis‘Caliente’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,869, Coreopsis ‘Jive’ U.S. Plant Pat.No. 22,015, Coreopsis ‘Salsa’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,129 and Coreopsis‘Mambo’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,131 all have maroon petal centers andyellow, pink, creamy white to red petal perimeters, and Coreopsis‘Limbo’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,130 is all white with nearly white petalcenters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photographs of the new invention demonstrate the overall appearanceincluding the unique traits of the new plant. Light source direction maycause the appearance of variation in color. The colors are as accurateas reasonably possible with color reproductions. The plants used forthis photograph were one year old and near the end of the summer grownin an open sun trial garden in Zeeland, Mich.

FIG. 1 shows a close-up of the flowers of ‘Tahitian Sunset’ with thewatermelon-red petals going toward yellow in the center.

FIG. 2 shows a mature plant of ‘Tahitian Sunset’ in the landscape.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following color descriptions are based on color terminology inaccordance with The Royal Horticultural Society “Colour Chart” 2001edition and are labeled with R.H.S. and the appropriate correspondingreference number and letter except where common dictionary terms areused. The plant described is a single-season, seven-month old plantgrown in a trial garden in Zeeland, Mich. with supplemental fertilizerand water when necessary but without plant growth regulators. Coreopsis‘Tahitian Sunset’ has not been tested in all possible environmentalconditions and may appear phenotypically different under differentconditions without any difference in genotype.

-   Parentage: Whole plant mutation of Coreopsis ‘Sweet Dreams’.-   Plant habit: Tender herbaceous perennial then spread and arch later    in season.-   Plant size: To about 35 cm tall and 48 cm diameter; spreading more    than height in maturity.-   Plant vigor and growth rate: Rapid, rooting from tip cuttings in 10    to 14 days, finishing in a 2.5 cm plug in five weeks and from a 2.5    cm plug to a one liter container in about six weeks.-   Root description: Fine, fibrous, and well-branched.-   Stem: Nearly round, glabrous, lustrous; 1.0 to 2.0 mm diameter;    branching with usually two axillary branches at each lower node;    internode length between 1.5 and 2.5 cm; stem strength is moderate    and flexible; total main stem length about 30 cm; secondary and    tertiary stems between 20 cm and 4 cm long.-   Stem color: Between RHS 143A and RHS 137D.-   Foliage: Simple, entire, rarely one to two lateral lobed, opposite,    linear with acute apex and attenuate base, sessile slightly lucid    both surfaces; size variable, up to 3.5 cm long and 3.0 mm wide;    held horizontal to upright at 45 degrees from horizontal.-   Leaf color: Adaxial nearest RHS 137C; abaxial nearest RHS 138A.-   Venation: Pinnate, not prominent, vein color same as leaf color;    Inflorescence buds about three days prior to anthesis: spherical,    about 8.0 mm diameter; color made up of a mixture of RHS 187A and    RHS 183A mostly near top with RHS N172B and RHS N163C along the    sides of the bud.-   Flowering timing: Beginning late spring and lasting into fall, for    over 15 weeks.-   Flower: Composite with usually eight ray florets surrounding about    55 disk florets in the center forming a domed radiant head; size    about 4.5 cm diameter and 5.0 mm height, receptacle about 4.0 mm    diameter; about 100 flowers per plant at a time during peak season.-   Ray florets: Eight in number, sterile; ray petals held perpendicular    to peduncle, or to produce a flat flower face; petals oblong, apex    emarginate to three-lobed, cleft about 1.0 mm deep, with largest    lobe in center about 3.5 mm long and 3.5 mm wide, base attenuate and    bent in a near 90 degree angle.-   Petal color: Adaxial side: nearest RHS 39A on the distal portion and    gradually becoming more yellow to nearest RHS 21B at the base;    abaxial side: nearest RHS 39C on distal portion and blending toward    RHS 29A at base.-   Disk florets: About 55 in number, perfect, petalostemonous, petals    apex acute, base fused into corolla; petal length about 3.0 mm long,    corolla about 1.0 mm diameter; color nearest RHS 183B.-   Gynoecium: One per disk floret.    -   -   Style.—Fine, about 3.5 mm long and less than 0.5 mm            diameter; color nearest 160A, translucent.        -   Stigma.—Bifid in last 1.5 mm, less than 0.5 mm diameter and            curled around nearly 360 degrees; color between RHS 21C and            RHS 22C.        -   Ovary.—Inferior; about 1.0 mm long and 0.5 mm in diameter;            color nearest RHS 145D.-   Androecium: Five, petalostemonous.    -   -   Stamen.—Five, finely filamentous, about 2.0 mm long and 0.2            mm diameter; color nearest.        -   Anther.—Oblong, about 1.5 mm long and 0.3 mm diameter; color            nearest RHS.        -   Pollen.—Spherical, abundant, less than 0.1 mm in diameter,            color nearest RHS 8C.-   Lastingness: About seven days; petals self-cleaning, bracts and disk    flowers persistent.-   Fragrance: None detected.-   Phyllaries: In two rows; distal row of eight, deltate-ovate, entire,    glabrous, acute apex and sessile truncate base, about 4.0 mm long    and 2.0 mm wide at base; proximal row of five, linear, entire,    glabrous, acute apex and attenuate base, about 2.0 mm long and 0.5    mm wide.-   Phyllary color: Distal set adaxial color nearest RHS 137A with    margins less than 0.5 mm width of RHS 24A; distal abaxial color    nearest RHS 137A with margins less than 0.5 mm width of RHS 24B;    proximal set adaxial color nearest RHS 137B with a margin of less    than 0.3 mm of nearest RHS 138D; proximal set abaxial colors the    same as adaxial.-   Peduncle: Nearly round, glabrous, lustrous; strong, wiry; up to 4.5    cm long, average about 2.5 cm long and 1.0 mm diameter; color    nearest RHS 137B.-   Fruit and seed: Has not yet been observed.-   Resistance: Resistance to diseases and pests beyond that typical to    Coreopsis has not been noted; ‘Tahitian Sunset’ has shown tenderness    in USDA zone 6 but is hardy in zones 8 to 10.

It is claimed:
 1. The new and distinct Coreopsis plant named ‘TahitianSunset’ as herein described and illustrated, useful as a potted plant,landscape plant, cut flower, and to attract butterflies.